Glasses: The subtle wall

[sobrique]

Ever wondered why the 'Secret Service' are stereotyped as wearing dark glasses all the time? One of the reasons is because it's more intimidating.

I've recently started to wear contact lenses, most of the time. I've started to notice a subtle difference. You see, when wearing glasses, you always have this transparent barrier between you and the rest of the world.

Now if you're wearing a good pair of glasses this barrier is fairly subtle and unobtrusive. Even so, I can't help but feel it subtly alters your perceptions of the world around. It's not all that easy to explain, but ... well this is LJ, so I'll try and put rambling into words.

Is it possible or reasonable that the fact that I'm putting a barrier between myself and everyone else, even one that's pretty much transparent, serves to increase distance from the world around me?

Comments

[purp1e-magic.livejournal.com]

Actually, you also look totally different with or without glasses. I don't think the same is true of me.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

I think everyone looks different with or without glasses. I sort of tend to think they also do have an effect on the perceptions of the world around you. This vaguely concerns me, and makes me wonder if I've been doing myself psychological damage for the last 20 or so years. Well, that sounds a bit dramatic, but ...

[purp1e-magic.livejournal.com]

Having different perceptions can only be a good thing. You see different things in your world, dpending on a lot of things - state of mind, emotion, physical states, age, experience and who you're with. Glasses are just one of those things. I don't see how it could be harmful, just different.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Being shut in a box for 10 years would alter my perceptions. I am unconvinced that would count as 'only being a good thing'.

OK, that's a bit of an extreme analogy, but understanding of conditions or a point of view may be a good thing. Having spent significant amounts of time with possibly distorted perceptions might not be so good.

(And yes, that's a lot of mights and possiblies. I'm not entirely certain that this is the case, but I'm starting to have suspicions)